Autumn Leaves
by Yoake Mae
Summary: Sendoh Ayami had always been the unique one in the family. But being the most different among many was not an easy task. And meeting one famous basketball player didn’t make her situation any easier... Maki x Ayami.
1. chapter one

DISCLAIMERS: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Takehiko Inoue and other companies.  No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  Only the new characters and plot are mine.

Summary:  Book I: Ayami Sendoh had always been the unique one in the family.  But being the most different among many was not an easy task.  And meeting one famous basketball player didn't make her situation any easier.

THE FOUR SEASONS I: AUTUMN LEAVES 

**_Yoake Mae_**

Chapter One

***

"See that dunk nii-chan made?  I swear I'll do better than that!" Jiro said excitedly while his mouth was still full so bits of rice fell out.

"Jiro don't talk with your mouth full!"

"Ma, did you see?  Did you see that dunk?  Told you I'll—" the boy kept on eagerly, ignoring his mother's reprimand.  

"Yeah yeah, whatever squid," Akira interrupted his younger brother.

"Squid?  You calling me squid?!  Ha!  Just wait and see nii-chan and I'll best you in basketball someday," Jiro promised fervently then he coughed, choking on his food.  He then drank from his glass in big gulps.

Akira laughed.  "Now see what happens when you don't obey Ma."

"Akira, when is your next game?" their father suddenly asked as he set down his hot cup of tea.

"I'm not sure.  I think it'll be on next Monday," Akira told his father, turning to him.  "Why ask Pa?"

But before his father could answer, Jiro, finally recovering, suddenly said, "Nii-chan!  We'll watch your game of course!  You know we never miss any of your games."

"You'll win your next game, ne?  I bet your next opponent will be just as easy to beat like that lousy Hamigaiji you defeated earlier," his father added with a confident and proud smile.  He remembered the game they attended earlier, the game which Ryonan won again.

"Well, we're not so sure about that," Akira said uncertainly.  He then turned his attention back to his food.

"And why not?" both Jiro and their father asked at the same time.  His mother altered her attention too from feeding the baby (the youngest in the family) when she heard her son.  All eyes were on Akira, who was now taking his time in chewing his dinner.

"Is it because your next game will be against Kainan?" Jiro asked, almost anxiously.

But Akira merely shook his head.

"It must be Shoyo then," his father said quite gravely.  He shook his head.  "Then it will really be hard.  But as what I've seen from your play today you have a big chance against that Shoyo."

"But Pa, it's not Shoyo either," Akira admitted.

"Then what team is it nii-chan?  Surely you're the next best team after Kainan and Shoyo," Jiro said.

"That, Jiro, is without any doubt," their father agreed.

"Well?  What team is it Akira?" their mother joined in too.  Kanjou, their two year old baby, also stopped from playing with his cereal and looked at his eldest brother, as if he could understand their conversation and was waiting for his answer too.

Akira looked at his family then with a small pleased smile, "It's Shohoku."

"Shohoku?  But they're not even good, Akira.  What are you worried about?" his father asked incredulously and confused.

"No Pa.  Shohoku changed.  They have good players now.  It's almost unbelievable but it's true," Akira said casually.  He was not very nervous about their next game against Shohoku.  In fact, he's rather excited about it.

"But even so, they won't be that difficult to defeat, isn't it?"

But the Ryonan ace player just shrugged and proceeded with his dinner, showing he didn't want to discuss the topic any further.  His family knew this of course, knowing him for many years.  So they just shifted the subject from basketball to school.

"Aww Ma.  It isn't my fault our teacher's such a bore," Jiro whined, irritated.  From the moment his parents asked him about a certain detention this coming Friday, he already wanted to walk out from the dining room and just play his play station.  But that would anger his parents more so he didn't.

"Even so Jiro.  You shouldn't have slept all throughout your class!  Again!  Now you have another detention coming," his mother scolded.

The boy just shrank lower to his seat, picking his mood and sulking.  Akira, with a raised brow and an amused smile, chuckled.  

Jiro turned to him with a glare.  "It's not funny.  And it isn't fair either!  You always sleep too during your classes."

Akira choked as their parents looked at him with displeased eyes.  He held up his hands in defense and said, "At least I don't get caught."

His younger brother scowled at him and he just burst out in laughter.

And the family went on with their dinner with the usual jovial matters.

However, seated quietly in one corner of the rectangular table, she didn't show any expression towards the family discussion.  She was calmly eating her food, never turning her gaze away from her plate.  She didn't even reacted at all with a tiny smile or a frown.  She didn't even made any comment nor contributed to the talk.

She was just there.  Her mere presence known.  Her sheer existence ignored.

But she was suddenly startled by the call of her name that she immediately dropped her utensils with a loud clang.  

She looked up, almost with a blank expression on her face except that of mild surprise.  

"Ayami," her mother called her name again, her tone not too pleased but her face remained calm with patience.  "I asked you about your school today."

"Oh," Ayami responded vacantly.  She stared at her mother's inquiring face.  "It was fine," she finally managed to say.

"Are you okay, Ayami?" her mother asked, this time with a tinge of concern.

"Nee-san is always like that Ma.  No real news there," Jiro butted in.

Ayami looked at her younger brother but said nothing.  

"Ayami," this time, her father called to her sternly.  "Your mother is asking you."

She blinked then said to them, "I'm fine."

"Alright then," her mother said, although still a bit hesitant.

"By the way, my school is having—"

But before she could finish her sentence, Kanjou wailed loudly.  And all attention was shifted to him.

"My poor baby.  Stop crying now.  Yes, here's your milk…" 

"Wah wah wah.  He's such a baby.  Make him stop crying Ma."

"Think Jiro, think.  Of course Kanjou is just a baby."

"I know that nii-chan."

"Boys, how would you like to go out after Akira's next game?  Say, for victory celebration.  You can invite your team mates too if you want, son."

"All right Pa!  We'll get pizza!"

"Jiro, pizza is not enough for your nii-chan's team."

"But Pa I told you we're not so certain this time of our winning."

"Forget about being humble, Akira."

"But Pa I'm not—"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

"Ma!  Make Kanjou stop.  He's really irritating."

"Jiro, it's natural for babies to cry."

"But Ma—"

Ayami stared at her family, once again expressionless.  She bit her lower lip, a bad thing that had become her mannerism.  She wasn't sure if it meant something.  She just knew that she often bit her lip, intentionally or not, whenever she didn't know what to do next.

She decided that she would just tell her parents later after dinner.  It would be really hard to snatch their attention from her brothers and basketball.

Brothers.  Basketball.

All they ever care about are themselves, their works, their news, and most especially basketball.  It seemed that Ayami was the only family member who isn't interested even just a bit in basketball.  Even her mother and Kanjou (who was only three years old) often showed some curiosity in that sport.

But her… She had always been the different one. 

"Don't forget your homeworks Jiro.  Your teachers might scold you again for not studying," their mother said to Jiro, who was already out of the dining room and walking up to the stairs to his room.

"Yeah Ma, I heard you," he called out back.

Akira started cleaning up the plates when his mother stopped him.  "No no, Akira.  Let me do those.  You go to your room and do your school works too."

"I already finished them Ma," he lied.  He always did his assignments at school before the class starts.  Or if he was really too lazy on those days, he wouldn't do his homeworks.

"All right then.  Go somewhere.  Practice basketball or whatever," his mother said absentmindedly, gathering up all the dishes and putting them in the kitchen.

"Practice again?  Thanks Ma but I'll honestly prefer to sleep," Akira said, yawning.

"So early, son?  Why not watch some games with me on tv?" his father invited, already standing up.

"Uh… okay Pa," Akira answered.  _'Don't tell me it's basketball again,' _he said to himself.

And the father and son walked out of the dining room.

Ayami stayed, standing at the middle of the room, silently watching her mother go back and forth from the dining table to the kitchen.  She turned her gaze away from her busy mother, who seemed to be still not noticing her daughter, and to Kanjou, who was now playing with his rattle, and then she looked down to the floor.  She was again biting her lip unconsciously.

She breathed in heavily then hesitantly, helped her mother clean up the table.  She gathered the glasses and utensils and brought them to the kitchen sink.

When they were finished with the table, her mother turned to her, "Is there anything you want, Ayami?" 

"Well… We have this parents' meeting this coming Saturday…" Ayami trailed off.  She was looking down the floor, not meeting her mother's eyes.

"This Saturday?  But Ayami, it's Kanjou's daily check-up with his pediatrician," her mother said.  Ayami reddened, suddenly embarrassed and regretted she even mentioned the meeting to her mother.  Luckily her father wasn't in the room anymore.  That would be more horrifying for her. 

When it seemed that her mother was about to add something up, Ayami quickly interrupted her.  "It's all right, Ma.  It's not important anyway."

And without even waiting for her mother to reply, she walked out of the room quickly.

***

She leaned back on the door then sighed loudly.  She closed her eyes, as if torment had suddenly came upon her, and she let herself slid down to the floor with her back still resting on the door.  She bent her knees close to her chest and looked up to the ceiling.

Ayami was amazed with herself.  Everyday she always experienced the same scenarios with her family; her, always disregarded and left out of the issue.  But after every same scene she always left to have her refuge in her own room, feeling isolated, lonely and hurt.  But really, she should be used to it by now.  After all those years of same indifferent treatment from the people whom she was supposed to care for…

Ayami stood up and moved toward her full-body mirror.  She stared at herself blankly.  Then with contempt in her eyes, she turned away.

Her gaze went to her cds and discman.  She put on one of her cds, then her earphones.  She then lied down to her bed and closed her eyes, letting herself be drifted away by the music and leaving the harsh reality behind.

To be continued…

090203

***

**Author's Notes: **

The first chapter in the first book!  Reviews please! ^_^


	2. chapter two

DISCLAIMERS: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Takehiko Inoue and other companies.  No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  Only the new characters and plot are mine.

THE FOUR SEASONS I: AUTUMN LEAVES 

Yoake Mae 

****

Chapter Two

***

Ayami was walking down the corridor, clutching her heavy books closely to herself (because her bulky backpack doesn't have any more space).  Her head was slightly bowed low and her eyes focused only on the floor, on where she was going.  

A group of giggling girls was walking opposite of her.  Because the hallway was cramped of jolly girls chatting carelessly before the first class starts, it could hardly be helped not to hit into others.  And Ayami unfortunately bumped into the group of girls who passed by, causing some of her books to fall on the floor.

Ayami muttered an apology but a particularly nasty girl from the group whom she bumped into glared at her and snapped, "Watch where you're going, geek."

Her friends turned to Ayami too and together they all snarled nasty comments to her.  Fortunately, the first bell rang, saving Ayami from further verbal (and emotional) abuse.  Suddenly, all of the people lazing around the corridors, including the groupie looking daggers at Ayami, emptied the hall, running toward their respective classrooms.

Ayami let out a small sigh of relief then bent down to retrieve her books.  As she was walking in the now-empty hallway, she didn't bother quickening her pace, for she very well knew her professor would surely be angry with her again.  It seemed that most of her professors had this certain disliking towards her, though she have no idea why.  So whether she would be late for her class or not, she predicted very well she'd be the end of her professor's fury for this day anyway.

And true to her premonition, the moment she opened the door and stepped into the classroom, the professor was already wearing a fierce frown meant only for Ayami.  

"Late again, miss?" the professor started with obvious irritation.

"I'm sorry, sir," Ayami said indifferently under her breath, her voice barely heard.  She was actually grateful that the professor disliked her for he often called his favorite students either by their first names or worse, by their full names.  She didn't like saying her surname, nor hearing other people say it.  

Trying so hard not show her embarrassment, she impassively walked to her chair, the one in the farthest end corner of the room, trying to ignore the stares of her classmates.  

"Sorry sorry sorry!" the professor bellowed, exasperated.  "And don't turn your back on me miss.  I'm still talking to you, you disrespectful—"

Ayami suddenly felt something ignite in her that made her dare to turn around and face her angry professor.  From an air of indifference, she unexpectedly felt mad.  She was about to say something but held her mouth shut and clamped her jaws tightly.  

She may have not said anything but her eyes showed clear defiance.

The professor raised a brow, surprised at the glint of rebelliousness in his meek and quiet student.  "Going against me now, miss?" the professor challenged, stressing the word 'miss' to mock her.

Ayami was seething with silent anger.  She was clutching her books tightly and staring hard at her professor.  She ought to be answering the question.  He was still her professor, right?  Good students must always respond to their teachers' questions.  But since when did she become a good student anyway?  For all she knew, her professors hated her.  The hell she cared.

At that very moment, Ayami felt like answering her professor but not in the expected proper manner.  

However, something held her back.  

There's always something that's holding her back.

So she didn't answer and forced the fury aside.  She breathed in and out heavily then stared down at the floor, not answering her professor.    

The professor gritted his teeth in annoyance.  Yearning for a response from his student, he said nastily, "Detention, miss, for being late on your first class and for being discourteous to your professor."

Ayami then knew that her professor wanted her to retort back to him so he could gain more reasons for him to give her some kind of punishments.  But she decided not to let him the gratification.  So she just stared blankly at him as she received the small slip (for detention) from his professor.

When the professor still didn't receive any reactions at all, he then decided to ignore his "stupid" student (as what he was muttering about Ayami under his breath) and turned around to write something on the board.

Ayami hinted it was a form of dismissal so she walked toward her chair, with the small detention paper crumpled in her hand.  

She could hear the low murmurs of her classmates.  She could feel their hard stares.  Even when she was finally seated on her chair, she could still sense their malicious curiosity and hostility towards her.

But like always, Ayami ignored them all for in the end she knew she would always be unseen anyway.  

She was just a nobody.

***

It was lunch and she was in her favorite place in the school, the rooftop.  It was quiet there that she could honestly read her books all day without any interruptions, with her earphones on her ear listening to her favorite music.  Break in the rooftop was the only thing Ayami liked in her school.

She looked inside her paper bag.  There were sandwich and a small pack of biscuits.  She knew it was ham sandwich AGAIN.  Her mother might never really know that Ayami hates ham sandwich as she was always giving it to their neighbor's dog just before she goes inside their house.  Rather, she liked tuna sandwich… like her onii-chan.

She took her soda in can and drank up.  

The air was quite chilly as November was fast nearing.  But she didn't mind the coldness.  Rather, she welcomed it.  Somehow, the draftiness was offering her comfort for the numbness she wanted so much.

Ayami was sitting cross-legged on the cold hard floor, reading her book when a girlish scream suddenly resounded from the noisy grounds below.  She tilted her head to the sound, but made no move to see it.  She went back to her reading.

There was another excited scream then the chatting and buzz became louder.  _'Really, we're in an exclusive school.  Can't they act properly in their own ages?' _Ayami complained silently.

All of a sudden, the door to the rooftop banged open and came out two girls, probably third years, talking and walking towards the edge of the rooftop.  They hadn't noticed Ayami, who was silently watching them, for she was quite hidden in the shadow of the rooftop entrance.

"We can put the banner down here and tie the ropes up there," the taller of the girls said to her companion, pointing downwards then at the poles on both sides of the rooftop.

"Yeah yeah!  This is a good place!  We have to make it really big though," said the other girl with short spiky brown hair.

"Okay, it's settled then.  We'll just inform the Arts Club on our plan and I know they'll be willing to do it," responded the taller girl.

The girl with spiky hair nodded.  They started going back to the door so Ayami had to move slightly so she could be better hidden.

"Let's get back to the others.  Bet when we get there the food's all gone."

The taller girl laughed.  "I can't object.  Knowing Kristy, her own lunch isn't just enough for her!"

As they went out to the door laughing and talking vibrantly, Ayami breathed out steadily.  She bit her lip.  Seeing the two girls chatting so freely and obviously knew each other so closely, Ayami immediately had to force down that familiar bitter feeling again.  _'Why mind about it now, Aya?  You're used to being alone, right?'_    

Unwanted childhood images of her and Akira flashed in her mind; both of them playing around the park 'til their chubby little legs and feet could no longer carry on further, them eating their ice cream in the park, in the beach when they were building a sand castle, in the basketball court with their father trying to teach them how to dribble…

She snapped out of her reminiscing, angry with herself.  Why did she have to be so weak?  Why did she have to remember those old times?  Why did she have to be resentful?  Why did she have to feel envious towards good relating people?  Why did she have to hate herself and—

It won't be of any use sulking and loathing in the corner.  Ayami won't do anything about it anyway.

***

"Spherical mirrors.  Definition: the radius of curvature of the spherical mirror is the radius of the imaginary sphere—"

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGGGG!!!

The students started to gather their things and stood up, not minding their professor who was still in front of the room, droning on with their assignment.

"It will be passed on our next meeting."  And with that, the professor finally ended their lesson.

_'Dismissal.  Finally,' _Ayami thought with great relief.  She also stood up then walked out of the room.

But to her huge disappointment and annoyance, she found a mass of girls huddled together in front of the school's bulletin board in the hall, therefore blocking the exit.  Ayami groaned silently.  The other exit door she knew was on the other side of the building and she was too tired to walk away from the nearest exit she knew.   

"What is it?  A play?"

"Yeah.  But hear this, it's a theatrical production in collaboration with KAINAN!"

"Oh my god Kainan!!!  Shelstonn is working with Kainan?!"

"Yes!  Isn't it great?  OUR own school is going to have a performance play with KAINAN, another all-boys school!"

"Not only that, take note that Kainan is not just any other exclusive school for boys but it's also one of the highest standard academies in the district, like our school!"

"AND, it had always been top-notcher in most district activities… like basketball!"

"AND, don't forget that Kainan is one of the most popular schools ever!  It's totally great they're teaming up with our school!"

Two girls screamed.

Ayami, unfortunately being near to the two loud girls with ear-splitting screams, heard everything and had to fight down the urge to roll her eyes.  _'So that's what all this commotion is all about.  So what if it's Kainan?  Is it really a requirement to be overly excited about it?  Kainan is just another school for god's sake.'_

"It's just a play, big deal," Ayami muttered under her breath.

Unluckily, (and amazingly as they were really loud) the two girls heard her.  They suddenly stopped their screaming, whirled their heads sharply toward Ayami, and dangerously approached her with evil nasty glints in their eyes.  

When they were now cornering Ayami (who was still stuck in the hallway because she couldn't go through the exit), she noticed the two girls quite looked alike.  _'Not only do they look alike but they obviously share the same qualities too.  What a mess.  Two bimbos now surrounding the air that I breathe.  Fate is so cruel to me.'_

"Did we just hear you correctly?" the 'first twin' (as Ayami distinguished them) said airily.

"JUST a play?" the 'second twin' butted in.

They both raised their brows and glared at Ayami.

"It isn't JUST any play."

"It's THE play.  THE play with Kainan."

"And take note of that, it's KAINAN.  K-A-I-N-A-N.  KAINAN."

_'I do know how to spell alright?' _Ayami retorted back silently.  Though she wasn't saying anything, she was just staring at them as indifferently as she could.  _'These girls are REALLY irritating.  I wonder how much I could take before they completely poison the air surrounding me…'_

"That's why this play is going to be special."

'Right.  They clearly explained how working with this stupid Kainan makes this play special.  Sure, I totally understand it,' Ayami thought sarcastically.

"Because it's Kainan…"

'Wow thanks.  I haven't got that fact yet.  Gee.  What a lifesaving grace.'

"…And Shelstonn working together," both 'the twins' finished the sentence.

When Ayami continued to stare at them, it came to them that she wasn't going to react in any way.  So with a last haughty glare, they turned their backs away from her and screamed their excitement once again.

This time, Ayami didn't fight the impulse to roll her eyes.

For the last five minutes Ayami was standing there in the hallway, waiting for the crowd to disperse.  She looked down again at her watch.

_'Goodness!  Aren't they ought to be going home now?  It's dismissal now, right?' _Ayami had to looked down again at her watch just to be sure.  She found out she wasn't wrong; it was time to go home.  _'Really.  What's the big deal with this play anyway?'_

As if on cue, a girl passed by her and Ayami heard her saying, "It's just a play with Kainan.  No biggie."

Ayami was honestly surprised to find someone with the exact sentiments as her.  She turned to look at that girl and found only a quick glimpse of her, as it seemed the girl was fighting her way through the crowd to go to the exit.

The girl was quite taller than her, probably two inches taller.  Her hair was black with streaks of striking red.  Ayami didn't get a complete sight of the girl's face though.  

_'If she was heading through that direction, it must be the exit too.  Why not try…'_ Ayami said to herself, still looking at where the girl had disappeared among the throng of girls.

Ayami walked through.  She got bumped into here and there but not that she cared.  They could hit her as much as they wanted.  All she wanted was air.  She wanted to go away now.

Finally, she found the exit door.  Without minding anything now, she ran toward the door.  And escaped.

***

When Ayami finally reached their house, she found a blue van parked in front of their house.  _'Onii-chan's team is here again.'_

Stopping at the gate, she contemplated on whether to go through the front door and meet the Ryonan lot, or through the back door in the kitchen then she could ran up the stairs then at last to the protection of her own room.  Of course, Ayami being the weak, introverted and coward Sendoh, she opted for the back door.  

Finding the kitchen empty was a huge relief for Ayami.  She put down her things in the kitchen table and decided to have a glass of juice first before running to her bedroom.  

A terrible mistake.

A Ryonan player walked in inside the kitchen.  

Ayami widened her eyes in surprise, and in the process choked in her juice.  She coughed, putting the half empty glass in the sink.

Another wrong mistake.

The guy quickly walked up to her and gently patted her back.  "Are you okay?"

Cough.  "Yeah…"  Cough.

"Hey, don't talk yet.  Sorry I even asked you if you're all right.  Just, er… cough on," the guy said, continuing to pat her back.

When Ayami finally regained her normal breathing, she quickly straightened up and backed a few steps away from him, looking at everything but him.  She could feel her face heat up in embarrassment.

"Ayami, right?" he asked casually with a smile.

_'How'd he know my name?'  _Due to her astonishment, Ayami looked up at him, reddening more.

"By the way, my name is—"

"Hey, what's up?" another male voice interrupted.

They both looked at the kitchen door and much more to Ayami's horror, found Akira looking at them with his signature small smile.

The guy started, "Your sister was just—"

"Nothing," Ayami finished.  With her head bowed down, she grabbed her bag and books hastily from the table and rushed away from the kitchen then upstairs to her room. 

"Yo Sendoh, what's up with your sister?  She seems—"

"Don't mess around with my sister, alright Koshino?" Akira interrupted him again.  This time, gone was his enigmatic smile.  

"Er… okay Sendoh," was all Koshino could manage to say, quite taken aback by the seriousness Akira changed into.

Akira just nodded at him and said, "C'mon, the movie's starting already."  He then walked out of the room.

Koshino got a glass of water then drank up.  _'What a night.  Interrupted by two weird Sendohs in one minute,' _he thought, shaking his head slightly.

To be continued…

091303

***

**Author's Notes:**

The ANONYMOUS REVIEWS are now ACCEPTED.  I didn't notice it until **MoonPaper** reminded me.  Thank you!  By the way, I hope you received my email. =)

For the sake of this fanfic, let's just pretend that Kainan is an all-boys school and Shelstonn Academy (my made up school) is an all-girls. ^^

Reviews are mightily appreciated and needed! ^_^


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